laissez faire
UK /ˈlæseɪ ˌfɛə(ɹ)/ · US /ˌlɛ(ˌ)seɪ ˈfɛəɹ/ noun, adjective
Forms laissez-faire laisser faire laisser-faire
- noun (economics, politics) A policy of governmental non-interference in economic affairs.
- noun A policy of non-interference by authority in any competitive process.
- adjective (economics, politics) Practicing or representing governmental noninterference, or minimal interference, especially in economic affairs; pertaining to free-market capitalism. “I think the city should take a laissez faire approach to this; getting involved would only make things worse.”
- adjective (economics, politics) Advocating such noninterference. “The Senator claims to be laissez faire, but he voted in favor of the subsidies.”
- adjective (economics) Resulting from such noninterference. “The price ceiling was well below the laissez faire price that demand would have supported, so there were always shortages.”
- adjective (of a person) Avoiding interference in other people's affairs; choosing to live and let live.
Synonyms
forbearing hands off indulgent avuncular broad-minded catholic latitudinarian lenient liberal open-handed open-minded permissible permissive sufferable tolerant individualism
Etymology
Borrowed from French laissez faire (“leave it be”, literally “let do”).
Webster’s 1913
- Noninterference; --an axiom of some political economists, deprecating interference of government by attempts to foster or regulate commerce, manufactures, etc., by bounty or by restriction; as, the doctrine of laissez faire; the laissez faire system government.
Etymology [F., let alone.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “laissez faire”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details